Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals

Select Committee
International Development Committee HC 149 13 December 2022
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 23 items (14 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 23 of 23 classified)
Accepted 12
Acknowledged 10
Deferred 1
Government response
Sixth Special Report - Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals: Government response to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2022–23 · published 6 Mar 2023
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Recommendations & Conclusions

12 results
3 Conclusion Accepted
Para 31
Poor health drives people into and traps them in extreme poverty.
Conclusion
Poor health drives people into and traps them in extreme poverty. Withdrawing funding from programmes that fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases not only puts lives immediately at risk, but impacts wider objectives on education, gender equity and … Read more
Government Response Summary
The FCDO will redouble its efforts to ensure that all girls are supported to go to school and learn through the UK’s Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) programme.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Para 34
Nutrition is a keystone investment.
Conclusion
Nutrition is a keystone investment. It builds resilience in health, improves education outcomes and strengthens the economy through labour market participation. Moreover, investing in it represents very real value for money
Government Response Summary
The FCDO is already supporting education systems to deliver quality education for all children, focusing on foundational learning, reaching the most marginalised, and investing in teacher training.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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5 Conclusion Accepted
Para 40
The FCDO’s commitment to supporting women and girls, particularly through education, is welcome.
Conclusion
The FCDO’s commitment to supporting women and girls, particularly through education, is welcome. However, reductions in aid have been shown to disproportionately affect women and girls. Girls’ education is often more vulnerable when families face hardship and particularly during conflict … Read more
Government Response Summary
The FCDO established an on-demand expert advice facility (SPACE) and STAAR continues that support to governments and partners on strengthening social protection systems to help prevent and be able to respond to crises.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Para 41
As well as continuing to use its expertise to train teachers, the FCDO should focus...
Recommendation
As well as continuing to use its expertise to train teachers, the FCDO should focus education spending on the most impactful programmes for poverty reduction, particularly early years and primary education. All programmes should be disability inclusive, recognising the additional … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated it supports education systems to deliver quality education for all children and has the greatest impact on poverty reduction through foundational learning and reaching the most marginalized. They cited statistics on spending on basic education and teacher training, and highlighted the Girls’ Education Challenge programme.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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7 Recommendation Accepted
Para 45
The FCDO should continue to use its expertise and influence to champion social protection systems...
Recommendation
The FCDO should continue to use its expertise and influence to champion social protection systems and universal health coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the value of such systems, which are already urgently needed due to the effects of climate change … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government affirmed its support for social protection systems and universal health coverage, citing their response to COVID-19 and ongoing support through facilities like SPACE and STAAR. They highlighted the UK's championing of UHC and work to strengthen health systems.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Para 55
Adapting to climate change and building resilience is vital for poverty reduction.
Conclusion
Adapting to climate change and building resilience is vital for poverty reduction. Reducing the debt burden allows governments in low-and-middle-income countries to spend more on public health, education and social protection programmes. The UK Government must maintain its leadership on … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government highlighted its commitment to climate finance and adaptation, citing the Glasgow Climate Pact. They noted the UK's pledge of £11.6bn to support vulnerable populations and the tripling of adaptation funding. The UK's level of grant-based climate finance support from 2016 to end 2020 was 89%.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted
Although low-income countries are often disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and can...
Recommendation
Although low-income countries are often disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and can play a vital role in mitigation, they are mostly mitigating the emissions of other countries, including the UK. It is right that we invest in … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that all UK aid, including ICF spend, is reported in line with international rules on what constitutes ODA as defined and governed by OECD Development Assistance Committee.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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14 Recommendation Accepted
Para 75
The Government said in its response to our inquiry that it scaled back programmes in...
Recommendation
The Government said in its response to our inquiry that it scaled back programmes in “countries and regions that are better positioned to bounce back from COVID-19”. It is not clear what the basis was for the reductions of allocations … Read more
Government Response Summary
The FCDO states it has allocated its ODA budget in line with the International Development Strategy and that all ODA spent by the UK is required to meet the ‘primary purpose’ test that the provision of the assistance is likely to contribute to a reduction in poverty.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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16 Conclusion Accepted
Para 81
Classifying all spending in low-and-middle-income countries as ODA may meet the letter of OECD rules,...
Conclusion
Classifying all spending in low-and-middle-income countries as ODA may meet the letter of OECD rules, but it contravenes their spirit. Programmes that may contribute to foreign policy objectives, but that do not have a measurable effect on poverty, should not … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government stated that all UK ODA spending adheres to OECD DAC rules, promoting economic development and welfare in developing countries. The UK’s ODA spend is guided by the International Development Strategy, aligned to the SDGs and focused on poverty reduction.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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19 Recommendation Accepted
Para 95
The FCDO must work with the Department for International Trade to ensure that trade policy...
Recommendation
The FCDO must work with the Department for International Trade to ensure that trade policy is predicated on creating inclusive, sustainable growth and supporting economic diversification, particularly in countries facing food insecurity and/or climate threats. Read more
Government Response Summary
The FCDO has made a public commitment to attain “Very Good” in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index and intends to update planned ODA allocations in due course.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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21 Recommendation Accepted
Para 103
A lack of policy coherence can lead to counterproductive actions, such as cutting funding to...
Recommendation
A lack of policy coherence can lead to counterproductive actions, such as cutting funding to groups and regions that have previously been identified as priorities. Creating strategies is important, but they cannot exist in silos or fail to consider other … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states that FCDO is required by HMT to publish Outcome Delivery Plans. It is developing a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the International Development Strategy and working to deliver its disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030. The FCDO reports to an external disability board every six months.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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22 Recommendation Accepted
Para 107
The 2022 Aid Transparency Index noted the FCDO’s deterioration in transparency compared with DFID’s performance...
Recommendation
The 2022 Aid Transparency Index noted the FCDO’s deterioration in transparency compared with DFID’s performance in 2020, in part due to “inconsistent publication of results, evaluations and objectives.” The FCDO failed to publish detailed budgets in its Annual Report and … Read more
Government Response Summary
The FCDO commits to attaining "Very Good" in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index and intends to update planned ODA allocations in due course.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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